Golden Knights eliminate Ducks 5‑1

The Vegas Golden Knights closed out the Anaheim Ducks with a 5-1 win in Game 6 on Thursday, May 14, at Honda Center, sending Vegas to the Western Conference Final. Mitch Marner scored 62 seconds after the opening faceoff, and the Golden Knights built a three-goal first-period lead that Anaheim never erased. Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice in the third period, and Carter Hart finished with 31 saves as Vegas won the second-round series 4-2. The NHL said the Golden Knights will face the Colorado Avalanche in the next round. ### How quickly did Vegas take control in Anaheim? Mitch Marner put Vegas ahead 1-0 at 1:02 of the first period, according to the NHL game recap. The goal gave the Golden Knights an early lead on a night when Anaheim was facing elimination, and it set the pace for a first period controlled by Vegas. The Golden Knights led 3-0 after the opening 20 minutes. Shea Theodore also scored in the first period, and Brett Howden added a short-handed goal as Vegas converted its early pressure into a margin the Ducks could not recover from. ### Which numbers defined Game 6? The final shot count favored Anaheim 32-21, but Vegas finished with five goals on 21 shots, according to the NHL gamecenter and USA Today’s box score. (nhl.com) Carter Hart’s 31 saves limited the Ducks to one goal despite Anaheim carrying more of the shot volume over the final two periods. Vegas also went 2-for-5 on the power play, while Anaheim went 1-for-5. (nhl.com) Mikael Granlund scored the Ducks’ only goal on a second-period power play, trimming the deficit to 3-1 before Dorofeyev restored separation with two third-period goals. ### Who delivered the goals that ended the series? Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice in the third period to finish the clincher with two goals. (nhl.com) The NHL and Associated Press recaps said Dorofeyev’s late scoring put the game out of reach after Anaheim had pushed for a second goal. Shea Theodore had a goal and an assist, and Marner opened the scoring and added an assist, according to game reports. (nhl.com) Brett Howden’s short-handed first-period goal widened the gap to 3-0 and gave Vegas a cushion before Anaheim settled into the game. ### What did Anaheim get, and where did the push fall short? (nhl.com) Mikael Granlund scored Anaheim’s only goal in the second period. Leo Carlsson recorded an assist, and the Ducks generated 15 shots in the third period alone, according to the NHL gamecenter, but they did not score again. Honda Center hosted a Ducks team trying to extend its postseason run, but the deficit created in the first period held. (nytimes.com) Lukas Dostal stopped 16 of 21 shots for Anaheim, and the Ducks’ special teams gap — one power-play goal allowed and one short-handed goal conceded — proved costly in the closeout game. ### What comes next for Vegas? (nhl.com) The NHL said Vegas will meet the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. The Golden Knights are in the conference final for the fifth time in their nine-year history, according to Daily Faceoff’s recap of Thursday’s result. Game dates for the Vegas-Colorado series were not included in the reports reviewed, but the matchup is set after Thursday’s 5-1 result in Anaheim. (sportsdata.usatoday.com) The next official scheduling details are expected through NHL game pages and league announcements. (nhl.com)